The Philippines is composed of 7 150 islands, with 94 million population growing at 2.3 percent every year. Every year, about 800 000 young people being looking for work in a contracting and job-scarce Philippine economy with a meager pay regime. The unemployment rate is pegged at 12 percent; while 1 out of 5 employed Filipinos are underemployed. The quality of life in the Philippines measured through the Human Development Index remains poor. This decline in the quality of life is due to the worsening economic and political crisis in the Philippines. Due to the widening unemployment rate and the meager wage regime accompanied by increasing prices of commodities, Filipinos…

Cultures vary. Cultures are sui generis — they are unique. But what do we mean by ‘culture’? Culture is defined as the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, and institutions. In simpler terms, it is ‘a way of life.’ For the purpose of this article, we will use culture to actually refer to ‘subcultures’ – specific behavior patterns (customs), or traditions. In this post, we’ll discuss Filipino subcultures that are ‘uniquely Filipino’ (although that’s a debatable assertion) — from classic Filipino customs to quirky cultural peculiarities. So, let’s start! Classic Filipino Customs Before we dwell into the bizarre cultural quirks you can only find in the Philippines, let’s…

General Antonio Luna (not Juan Luna, he’s his brother, and Juan’s the painter) is undoubtedly one of the most admired Philippine heroes (probably due to the popular biofilm “Heneral Luna” released in 2015). He is a soldier, a chemist, a war strategist, a journalist, a pharmacists, and a hot-headed General. Unfortunately for Luna, the Philippines’ first president – the ruthless Emilio Aguinaldo – perceived him as a threat. As a result, Antonio Luna died not on the battlefields of the Philippine/American War, but on the streets of Cabanatuan. But if there’s one thing that General Antonio Luna is most famous for other than his assassination, that would be his temper.…

El Filibusterismo is the second novel written by Jose Rizal and it is the sequel to the 1887 “Noli Me Tangere.” Also known as El Fili in Filipino, the novel was published in 1891 in Ghent, Belgium. It was shipped to the Philippines via Hong Kong and many of the copies were confiscated before reaching the Philippine shore. ‘El Filibusterismo’ was thereafter serialized in El Nuevo Regimen in Madrid and translated into Filipino, other Philippine dialects, English, German, Japanese and French. The Plot Summary Set thirteen years after Crisostomo Ibarra, the main character in ‘Noli Me Tangere,’ left the Philippines, a mysterious jeweler named Simoun returns to the Philippines on…

Jose Rizal, a true nationalist and a polymath. Rizal was a man of incredible intellectual power. He is a doctor, painter, sculptor, architect, novelist, poet, sociologists, polyglot, and a lover among others. The Life of Young Pepe On June 19, 1861, Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos welcomed their seventh child into the world at Calamba, Laguna. They named the boy Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. The Mercado family were wealthy farmers who rented land from the Dominican religious order. Descendants of a Chinese immigrant named Domingo Lam-co, they changed their name to Mercado (“market”) under the pressure of anti-Chinese feeling amongst the Spanish colonizers. From…

Noli Me Tángere is a fictional novel written by José Rizal, one of the national heroes of the Philippines, during the colonization of the country by Spain to expose the inequities of the Spanish Catholic priests and the ruling government. Originally written in Spanish, the book is more commonly published and read in the Philippines in either Filipino or English. Together with its sequel, El Filibusterismo, the reading of Noli is obligatory for high school students throughout the country. The title is Latin for “Touch me not”, and is taken from John 20:17 in the Bible, where a newly-risen Jesus admonishes a bewildered Mary Magdalene: “Touch me not; for I…

The present nationalist movement can be heard chanting Bonifacio’s name and battlecry: “Rebolusyon ni Bonifacio, Isulong mo, Bagong Tipo” [Bonifacio’s Revolution, Push for it Anew!. There are also groups calling for the declaration of Andres Bonifacio as the legitimate National Hero of the country. Indeed, there is much controversy revolving around the persona of Andres Bonifacio. But who is he? What’s his legacy? Is he really the country’s ultimate national hero? Bonifacio’s Birth and Early Life Born on 30 November 1863, Andres is the son to Santiago, a tailor, a local politician, and a boatman, and to Catalina de Castro, a worker at the cigarrera (cigar factory). The couple worked…

One utmost convincing reason why popularity isn’t a reliable standard in the choices we make in life is the existence of junk foods in line with the fact that it is becoming more and more popular to all ages than it has ever been before. By definition, junk foods are not just the “fast foods”, instead, it encompasses all the high-calorie processed foods which contains negligible nutrient, usually has high levels of bad fat, salt, and sugar. It is also packed in the form that it looks enjoyable to wat, but in fact, gives us no benefit- worse, provides negative impacts we didn’t sign up for. One more fact regarding…

Because of ginger’s distinctive flavor which is a perfect balance between being both sweet and spicy, it is considered as a top-ranking spice that is always used in various dishes. On a metaphorical level, ginger is undeniably the “life of the party”… even if at times, it is not the host. You don’t believe it just yet? Well, maybe our list of top dishes could help us prove our point! Lemongrass Roasted Chicken Do you know what people say about this ginger-perfected meal we have right here? Beyond from it being juicy and tender, it is indeed a representation of South East Asian flavors… and yes, thanks to ginger sufficiently…

There are numerous factors as how one could have a better chance of being fertile- which then are commonly being sought by those that are really eager to be parents yet are facing some difficulties in the process of achieving it. With credits given to the ever-unstoppable research and development of science, you can now have a greater probability of succeeding through how nutrition actually plays a role in it. Hence, to help you with that pursuit here is a list of the top must consider foods you should regularly consume in recommended amounts in order for you to have a greater command on that aspired family of yours! Grapefruit…